I got a long story for tell dat night On poor leetle Rose Elmire, An' she say she 's sorry about de fight We 're doin' so well down here— But it 's not our fault an' we can't help dat, De law she is made for all, So our duty is wait for de rat-tat-tat Of drum an' de bugle call. 

On poor leetle Rose Elmire,

We 're doin' so well down here—

De law she is made for all,

Of drum an' de bugle call.

 An' it 's busy week for Elmire an' me, I 'm sure you 'd pity us too— Workin' so hard lak you never see, For dere 's plaintee o' job to do— Den half o' de night packin' up de stuff We got on de small cabane— An' buyin' a horse, dough he cos' enough, For Yankee 's a hard trade man. 

I 'm sure you 'd pity us too—

For dere 's plaintee o' job to do—

We got on de small cabane—

For Yankee 's a hard trade man.

 An' how can I sleep if ma wife yell out— "Gédéon, dere she goes!" An' bang an' tear all de house about W'en Johnnie is blow hees nose? Poor leetle chil'ren dey suffer too, Lyin' upon de floor, Wit' de bed made up, for dey never go On de worl' lak dat before. 

"Gédéon, dere she goes!"

W'en Johnnie is blow hees nose?

Lyin' upon de floor,

On de worl' lak dat before.

 We got to be ready, of course, an' wait— De chil'ren, de wife, an' me, For show de Yankee upon de State, Ba Golly! how smart we be. You know de game dey call checker-boar'? Wall! me an' ma wife Elmire, We 're playin' dat game on de outside door Wit' leetle wan gader near; 

De chil'ren, de wife, an' me,

Ba Golly! how smart we be.

Wall! me an' ma wife Elmire,

Wit' leetle wan gader near;

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